Stake pockets

[Dave72dt]

For those with finished and painted beds, How did you clean and paint the pockets to get the rust out and paint all the way down the pockets. Anybody make some removable plugs for these. Undecided about capping them for a smooth bedrail or leaving them open for option to install side rails. B3B.

dave

[Plymouthy Adams]

small jamb gun with pressure and fluid set right will allow painting inside...(even an airbrush will do this small work)...usually you will want to paint these first and wet sand any over spray on the outer body primered surface and then you can shoot your top coat..similar to painting jambs and inner hood fender mounts etc...do leave the pockets if you can..trucks just don't look right without them in my opinion.

[JBNeal]

I have recently painted some steel hollow-core doors at the house using a foam brush, and if I had sanded in between coats they probably would have looked like they were spray-painted. I figgered these stake pockets could be coated with a similar foam brush taped to the end of a stick. Multiple thin coats should seal off the metal, even if it doesn't look perfect. I plan on painting the stake pockets before top-coating the bed sheet metal, cuz I can see dripping a li'l paint here & there during the process.

[Plymouthy Adams]

sounds like you got a process in mind that will do well..its not like anyone should be looking deep into the pockets as it is and if they do I assure you that cannot see the

2 x 4 coming that you should hit them with for being critical of your work..

[Dave72dt]

Thanks guys, I can use a combination of the ideas to get a glossy finish at the top and some coverage down inside further and I can use the same method to get inside the rolled portions at the top of the bed panels. It's going to be black also so that should help. Decision made. I'll leave them uncapped.

[HanksB3B]

Thanks guys, I can use a combination of the ideas to get a glossy finish at the top and some coverage down inside further and I can use the same method to get inside the rolled portions at the top of the bed panels. It's going to be black also so that should help. Decision made. I'll leave them uncapped.

I got sick and tired of mine, so I cut them off and Fedex'd em to Windom Minnesota. When they got back, I primed and painted them. They turned out o.k. Yours will too.

Hank

[Dave72dt]

My pockets still have the full curl at the bottoms, not rotted at all, but a lot of surface rust inside. Original sides are still in very good condition with no rust holes so I'm not replacing the sides as you did. Shiny bolts holding the fenders on? What type are they?